I miss you all, here's the article from my local paper about the election!! I'll get them the next time!! Thanks for your concern everyone!!

Shockroo, Viveiros top clerk race


BY JIM HAND SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 1:41 AM EDT


ATTLEBORO - Betty Shockroo and Antonio Viveiros survived a four-way preliminary election for city clerk Tuesday to earn the right to go on to the general election.

CLICK HERE for precinct by precinct results
Shockroo, a community development official, topped the ticket, hauling in 1,581 votes, or almost 41 percent of the ballots cast.

Viveiros, a downtown businessman, took in 1,180 votes, or 30 percent.

Yolanda Cespedes, 707 votes, and Darlene Oliveira, 411 votes, were eliminated from the race.

Cespedes said she was endorsing Viveiros in the finals, while Oliveira said she was undecided.

The finals will feature two candidates with deep roots in city government.

Shockroo has worked for the city since 1981 and Viveiros is a former city councilor.

Shockroo said she believed it was her experience that attracted voters to her. In addition to working for the community development agency, she was the assistant city clerk for two years. "People got the message that I'm qualified," she said.

She said that the two city jobs she has held over the years involved her every duty called for in the city clerk job description.

Her strategy for the general election is to educate the public on what a city clerk does, and to emphasize she is the most capable of doing the job.

Viveiros, who runs Tony's Whistle Stop at the downtown train station, said his experience running a business and his ability to deal well with the public gives him an edge in the race.

Viveiros said he was shooting for the top spot in the preliminary, but was satisfied with a strong second place. He said Shockroo had the advantage of being backed by Mayor Kevin Dumas.

"Considering that I jumped into the race late and I'm running against the Dumas machine, I did well," he said.

Viveiros said he was concerned that with John Davis dropping out of the mayor's race, an unopposed Dumas will be able to give more help to Shockroo.

Shockroo said her support from Dumas has been greatly exaggerated.

She said the mayor occasionally gives her advice, but is not very active in her campaign.

"The mayor was helpful, but not as much as everyone thinks," she said.

Oliveira and Cespedes said they thought they did well, considering their lack of experience and name recognition.

Cespedes, who works in the city assessors office, and Oliveira, who works for the police department as a record keeper, were both first-time candidates who said they are not well known in the city.

However, they both said they want to run for office again in the future.

"I'm definitely not disappointed. I appreciate everything that everybody did for me," Oliveira said.

"I put my heart and soul into this," Cespedes said. "I'm really proud, but next time I will do it better."

JIM HAND covers politics for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0399 or at jhand@thesunchronicle.com.